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Celebrating Mental Health Week

Mental Health Week is celebrated nationally in the second week of October and aims to raise awareness about mental health, reducing the stigma surrounding it, while promoting effective prevention strategies to keep people mentally healthy.

Research has shown that there is a strong connection living close to, or spending a lot of time in or near, nature or green spaces and improvements in people’s feelings of happiness, self-worth and overall well-being.

People feel better after getting out into nature, whether it’s at the beach, in natural bushland or wetlands, or even just parks close to home. Embracing our natural world and learning to appreciate the simple joys of nature can help reduce mental distress, clear our heads, and allow us time for relaxation, reflection, and restoration.

At Conservation Volunteers Australia, we are all about connecting people to nature. By celebrating Mental Health Week, we’re bringing people together to shape stronger, healthier communities where nature takes centre stage.

Our vision is for a world in which people and nature flourish together.

What did we do this Mental Health Week?

Western Australia

We encouraged the community to connect to nature and get their hands dirty through a seedbomb and weeding activity. This event was designed to maximise immersion in the environment and to help people enjoy all the mental health benefits that come from being in nature.

Gladstone (Qld)

Healthy world, healthy mind. The community was welcomed to attend a special morning of relaxation with a beachfront yoga session, followed by a mental health discussion over a morning tea and beach clean-up activity.

St Lawrence (Qld)

The community was invited to participate in a Mental Health guided meditation walk by local yoga, meditation, and breathwork instructor, Christopher David. Christopher created a space for deep reflection and appreciation for nature while participants enjoyed the wonders of the local wetland.

Sydney

We celebrated Mental Health Week with Heads-up Alliance and Applied Ecology, educating parents and children on the importance of being out in nature and supporting our local wetlands and environments.

Adelaide

We celebrated Mental Health Week with the community by kayaking through the mangroves and waterways of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary. Community volunteers had an amazing time being immersed in the natural beauty of the sanctuary.

Brisbane 

We will be celebrating Mental Health Week later in the month with Bushtekniq, in the form of a ‘connect with nature workshop’ where the community will participate in learning to deepen their observations, improve their listening and tracking skills, and grow their connection with ‘place’. They will also learn about relationships between native flora and fauna and the importance they play in maintaining overall well-being. Click here to sign up and get involved.

Melbourne

This Mental Health Week event will involve a seedbomb and eco card-making workshop, led by jeweller and experienced workshop facilitator, Emma Grace. This event will allow community participants to practice mindfulness while making seedbombs out in nature and encourage people to think about mental health and well-being, connecting to nature and contributing to its improvement. Click here to sign up and get involved.

 

Why is getting out in nature and celebrating Mental Health Week important to us?

“Not only does the research show that nature is highly beneficial in improving our mental health, but it simply feels good to step out of the concrete jungle and immerse yourself in the trees, the sun and the sea,” says Sarah Tesolin, CVA Project Officer in Perth.

“Being in nature fosters a sense of grounding to earth, helping us to connect to the present. And more often than not, when we’re out in our natural environment, we are being physically active which further leads to mental health benefits.

“Through our Mental Health Week events, we create a space where people can connect with like-minded people and re-connect to their natural surroundings,” says Yasmin Tulloch, CVA Project Coordinator.

“We encourage people to get outdoors and positively contribute to something much larger than themselves. Taking care of our natural world – leads to a stronger, more resilient community who care deeply about their environment and who can make real and lasting change,”

CVA’s Revive our Wetlands initiative is proudly supported by our partner, Chevron Australia.